As some of you may remember a little while back, I had made a deposit into my bank account that was misread and ultimately led to a $1600+ error in my favor. I eventually went in and had the error corrected. Now, there is another error in my favor, but this one is a bit more complicated, so I'm not really sure how to handle it.

Just a few days ago, I made a payment to someone via PayPal for $11.00. At the time, I had $31.50 in my PP account, and about $20.00 in my checking account (where $$$ is drawn from if I have no PP funds). When I sent payment, the receipt came back as $1100.00. I quickly contacted the guy and explained what happened, and made a money request for $1089.00 back so that I could quickly return the fund to my bank account to try to avoid any overdraft fees. The guy returned the $$$ quickly, within about 20 minutes or so, and I transferred it back to my account (which typically takes 3-4 business days). I went to the bank the next day and spoke to someone about what happened, and he said he would keep an eye on the account and make sure it wouldn't apply any overdraft fee. Of course, it did anyway, but I'll get to that in a minute...

Anyway, the next day, the $1068.50 was back in my account. Two days later, however, ANOTHER $1068.50 showed up in my account. I recevied an e-mail telling me that my bank had rejected my attempted withdrawl of $1068.50 via the PP error, but since I had requested $$$ from the guy and transferred it back to my account, it apparently didn't recognize the rejected withdrawal attempt.

I went in and taked to the guy about what happened, but I don't think he understood what I was talking about. I asked him if, because the bank rejected the initial withdrawal attempt, the $$$ would be taken back from the other guy's account, and he said it shouldn't. So, basically, I'm sitting on this extra $$$ that seems to have come from out of nowhere. I'm waiting to see if the guy has the $$$ taken out of his account, but if that doesn't happen, where did the $$$ come from, and who should I contact about it? The deposit was not made due to bank error this time, and I already talked to them about it and they rejected the notion that there was any error. So, basically, what do I do from this point?

Mushmouth

05-05-2005, 11:27 AM

who do you bank with?

Honestly, I'd sit on it for a week or so - see if they realize the error. Personally, I wouldn't worry about your culpability, just don't spend it yet.

_PD_

05-05-2005, 11:31 AM

Document EVERYTHING that you do. You have made several good faith efforts to resolve the issue and despite your best efforts (have you made your best efforts?) everyone who can resolve the problem says there is no problem. Have you contacted the PP people?

This reminds me of an overtime pay issue I had with HR once. I kept telling them they overpaid me. I explained it very carefully to 3 different people from a couple different angles. Finally I grew weary of it all and just accepted the extra pay. And everybody was happy I was no longer making waves.

At some point, once you are assured you've done everything you can do, and your integrity is intact, you just can't fight it anymore. Go have a beer.

Shade

05-05-2005, 11:41 AM

Document EVERYTHING that you do. You have made several good faith efforts to resolve the issue and despite your best efforts (have you made your best efforts?) everyone who can resolve the problem says there is no problem. Have you contacted the PP people?

This reminds me of an overtime pay issue I had with HR once. I kept telling them they overpaid me. I explained it very carefully to 3 different people from a couple different angles. Finally I grew weary of it all and just accepted the extra pay. And everybody was happy I was no longer making waves.

At some point, once you are assured you've done everything you can do, and your integrity is intact, you just can't fight it anymore. Go have a beer.

Well, my main probem is, I don't know where the $$$ came from. t doesn't appear to have come from the bank. The rejected transaction doesn't even show up on my record. Logic would say it came from the other guy's account, but my bank says there shouldn't be any problem on his end, and the guy has not contacted me (yet) about any kind of error. I'm kind of reluctant to continue to insist that my bank take the $$$, becasue I don't think it's their error this time. But if it didn't come from my bank, and it doesn't show up at the other guy's bank, where did it come from? PayPal doesn't pay $$$ themselves, so all I can figure is an electronic glitch. I dunno. :shrug:

Anthem

05-05-2005, 12:08 PM

Let me get this straight. In a short amount of time, your bank has had 2500+ worth of errors in your favor?

With whom do you bank?

Shade

05-05-2005, 12:10 PM

Let me get this straight. In a short amount of time, your bank has had 2500+ worth of errors in your favor?

With whom do you bank?

First Indiana.

But like I said, I dont think this second error is theirs.

Anthem

05-05-2005, 12:12 PM

Well in the abstract it's cool, but really it would freak me out to have bank errors so regularly. Who knows which way it will go next time? I haven't had a single one in the 4 years I've banked with Wells Fargo. They don't do everything well, but they do have their crap together.

beast23

05-05-2005, 12:56 PM

With the exception of your effort to place the original order, and the seller's effort to generate a credit to you, none of the transacting was manual. Everything his bank does and your bank does is electronic with respect to the handling of the transactions.

Therefore, the seller has unknowingly duplicated his credit to you. Because that's the only way a duplicated transaction can get into the system - if someone triggered it. Within the next few days, I'm certain he will issue another hit against your account to balance out his mistake.

As some of you may remember a little while back, I had made a deposit into my bank account that was misread and ultimately led to a $1600+ error in my favor. I eventually went in and had the error corrected. Now, there is another error in my favor, but this one is a bit more complicated, so I'm not really sure how to handle it.

Just a few days ago, I made a payment to someone via PayPal for $11.00. At the time, I had $31.50 in my PP account, and about $20.00 in my checking account (where $$$ is drawn from if I have no PP funds). When I sent payment, the receipt came back as $1100.00. I quickly contacted the guy and explained what happened, and made a money request for $1089.00 back so that I could quickly return the fund to my bank account to try to avoid any overdraft fees. The guy returned the $$$ quickly, within about 20 minutes or so, and I transferred it back to my account (which typically takes 3-4 business days). I went to the bank the next day and spoke to someone about what happened, and he said he would keep an eye on the account and make sure it wouldn't apply any overdraft fee. Of course, it did anyway, but I'll get to that in a minute...

Anyway, the next day, the $1068.50 was back in my account. Two days later, however, ANOTHER $1068.50 showed up in my account. I recevied an e-mail telling me that my bank had rejected my attempted withdrawl of $1068.50 via the PP error, but since I had requested $$$ from the guy and transferred it back to my account, it apparently didn't recognize the rejected withdrawal attempt.

I went in and taked to the guy about what happened, but I don't think he understood what I was talking about. I asked him if, because the bank rejected the initial withdrawal attempt, the $$$ would be taken back from the other guy's account, and he said it shouldn't. So, basically, I'm sitting on this extra $$$ that seems to have come from out of nowhere. I'm waiting to see if the guy has the $$$ taken out of his account, but if that doesn't happen, where did the $$$ come from, and who should I contact about it? The deposit was not made due to bank error this time, and I already talked to them about it and they rejected the notion that there was any error. So, basically, what do I do from this point?
It sounds like PayPal somehow has screwed up the Debit/Credit offset in several transactions, and don't worry...they will find the error soon, and get it corrected.

My advice to you is...keep the money...earn a little interest until the rightful owner figures it out and comes back to get it. My thought is that the guy you made the original payment to will get pinched by PayPal, and ask you for his money back, at which point you need to verify with PayPal that they actually took this amount from him as an account adjustment, and when they confirm that they did...give the guy his money back.